Obama: Black Vicitimhood Is Dead
OBAMA wins. And black victim hood dies. No excuses:
Some black leaders say Obama’s political success means it’s time to shift away from the dialogue of victimhood.
“Racism is no longer the primary obstacle to black progress. With the election of a black man whose middle name is Hussein, the rhetoric of white racism is off the table,” declared the Rev. Eugene Rivers, a Boston-based minister with a national agenda and a history of taking controversial stands. “Black people don’t want to hear it. White people don’t want to hear it. . . . The old school is over.”
Blacks are no longer victims… right?
Posted: 6th, November 2008 | In: Twitterings Comments (5) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
November 7th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
It does change things.
Racism can now be thought of as any other anti-social crime or institutional corruption - rather than being something that’s endemic in the whole structure and spirit of the USA.
November 7th, 2008 at 9:59 am
I find it patronising that some people think this needed to happen for black children to now think anything is possible for them.
Obama didnt need it.
Its the message the parents are sending them. Every child should be brought up with the feeling that anything is within their grasp, that it starts with respect, hardwork and good manners no matter what their class, colour, creed or financial status.
November 7th, 2008 at 8:35 am
jrobert
Well said. And I hope it does now allow us to talk openly about these problems, without being accused of being racist. It must allow the police to target drug crime, without being accused of racism, it must allow us to deplore black-on-black crime and to do something about it, without being accused of racism.
That is what I hope will change. That we will be able to talk about Obama as President, and not as “The first Black president”, and open to discuss his successes and failures.
But this may still just be a dream, as I think you imply.
November 7th, 2008 at 12:19 am
”Obama wins.And black victimhood dies.No excuses.”
I`m sorry but that`s one of the dumbest things I`ve ever heard.I am a young black person myself and I don`t believe in edorsing the culture of victimhood in the black community or in any other minority community.
I believe in taking responsibility for our own actions(and when I say ”our” I mean all people) and being held accountable for our actions.I`ve always despised the culture of victimhood in the black community because all it does is it validates the playing of the race card.
The good Revrend is sorely mistaken if he thinks the rhetoric of racism is ”off the table”.
This is something that I knew would happen if Barack Obama won the presidency.
Because people can say one of the last great glass ceilings has just been shattered,history has been made and this proves that democracy works.But let`s not be naive here.President-Elect Obama is not a deity.His ascenscion to the most powerful position on the planet does not mean that racism will be erased.It does not mean that police rutality,racial profiling and negative sterotyping that comes as a result of racism will end.It also does not mean that black abortions will cease to be.It does not mean that young African-Americans peddling drugs on the corner will disappear,it does not mean that black-on black crime will become a thing of the past,it does not mean that the disturbingly high amount of African-American young men(and Hispanic men) incarcerated will somehow lower.It doesn`t erase the fact that the vast majority of African-Americans and Hispanics are dropping out of high school. Racism will never magically disappear,in order for that to happen people will have to magically disappear off the face of planet.Obama`s soaring political success can undermine the need for race to be a important issue that still needs to be talked about openly and honestly.Now people can point to a President Obama and say ‘’see,you can`t talk about racism anymore when the leader of the free world is a black guy!”
It`s one extraordinary step in the right direction for us all but it does not deaden the need for race to be talked about.What I will say,however is that Obama`s prescence in the White House can help with a mindset change that is desperately needed in the African-American community.It shows that all things are possible.
November 7th, 2008 at 12:11 am
i just hope the red states
dont desire to return to the history pre 1960